7 Great Songs Written for TV Shows

Last week’s installment of Game of Thrones capped off its cliffhanger ending with a rollicking Hold Steady cover of “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” the medieval drinking song debuted earlier in the episode. The track, along with its Season 2 predecessor “The Rains of Castamere,” was a reminder that while film traditionally gets the lion’s share of star-powered soundtracks (“Skyfall,” anyone?) a number of prominent artists have lent their talents to crafting quality tunes for the small screen — and not just theme songs, either. Here are some of the best original tracks written and recorded by some of our favorite artists for some of our favorite shows, from Girls to SNL.